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@PeteMan, The building site opposite our apartments is a sight to behold! The whole lift station building is being torn down rapidly, and an enormous pit has appeared to the right of it, which is to become an underground car park for 100 cars. I beg to differ about that old, slow chair lift, which we hardly ever used, and I am more than happy about the prospect next season of being able to cross the road and get straight into a fast, relatively luxurious, 10-seater gondola (I can't really see how a chair lift would have been preferable).

The point is that many of us are used to walking up the steps at Bauers, catching the Turm lift then skiing down and to the left across towards your place and get the 3er up to the Kohlmais. We'll now have the faff of taking skis off for the gondola or walking on past Bauers and getting the lift there. But this is a first world problem and it's churlish to moan about a lift that would probably be the pride of most ski resorts. Of course in Saalbach, we're so used to new state of the art lifts that it's almost unremarkable.

tatmanstours wrote:

Enjoy your boating, and remember that it's only about seven months before the snow cannons are switched on again

Thanks, fortunately the Med boating season starts at around the same time as Saalbach shuts. There is gap between boating and skiing in November that would allow a proper boating and skiing seasonaire time for a holiday!

Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person

Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person

@PeteMan, It’s my understanding that you will in future have the option of walking another 100 yards past Bauer’s Schialm and entering the new lift station directly from the street (without climbing any steps), and then going up in a lift, like at the Bernkogelbahn and the Schoenleitenbahn.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@franga, If you would like a copy of my comprehensive guide to Saalbach-Hinterglemm and a few suggested itineraries, PM me your email address.

Does anyone know of good value accommodation in Hinterglemm near lifts and ideally with wellness? Definitely heading there in Jan, so potentially can get a last minute but not that easy when there’s a group of us and flying from Scotchland. Package deals all over £1k at moment which I’d rather not pay. Stayed at Rosentalerhof a couple of years which was good but a wee bit of a treck (not much admittedly)

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

tatmanstours wrote:

@PeteMan, It’s my understanding that you will in future have the option of walking another 100 yards past Bauer’s Schialm and entering the new lift station directly from the street (without climbing any steps), and then going up in a lift, like at the Bernkogelbahn and the Schoenleitenbahn.

Thanks R, that's interesting. My only observation is that it could make the whole experience too sanitized but I will reserve judgement until I see it in action!

I've heard nothing but positivity about it - people looking forward to sitting down in comfort in big cabins with padded seats and picture windows, rather than being herded like cattle into those infernal, cramped, coke can cabins.
By the way, when we left Saalbach yesterday (to fly back to the UK), the lift station had been entirely razed to the ground. The previous day I had been watching a workman operating the demolition machine - a large, mechanical digger with caterpillar tracks and a long, articulated, hydraulic arm, which for some reason put me in mind of the War of the Worlds. I can't recall having ever watched one in operation before. One of the tools that it could pick up to use at the end of its arm was like a massive pair of pincers, with which (with amazing dexterity) it bit large pieces out of the fabric (i.e. the remaining walls and roof) of the lift station - like a child biting pieces out of an Easter egg! It was obvious that the operator was so skilled and experienced that the articulated arm was being used intuitively and delicately, as though it were an extension of his own arm. If I'd been watching it as a small boy, I think I might have immediately decided on my choice of vocation - digger operator.
There is now an uninterrupted, northerly view from the Hotel Kohlmais, and from our apartment building next door, of the Kohlmais mountain - but not for long! The rate of progress is rapid - it would be interesting to watch a time lapse video of the construction work.

@boabski, your post was in danger of getting lost in the noise, so here goes... We've never stayed in any of the hotels as we always self-cater and prefer apartments, but we've had feedback on several of them and sampled some of their facilities occasionally. In late January, they'll be busy but not necessarily full

https://www.hasenauer.at/en/ - has an excellent restaurant in the basement which we frequent on every visit. Central for everything, with easy access to the Reiterkogel, U-bahn, and Zwolferkogel lifts all about 150 metres away

https://www.unterschwarzach.at/en/ - right on the main slopes, 20 metres to the U-bahn, but I'm not sure it qualifies as good value, and it can be very noisy from 3-7pm as its the main apres venue for the south side of town

https://www.ellmauhof.at/en/ - on the edge of town and halfway up the hill, but it offers great facilities and easy access to ski in/ski out with the Bergfried piste on its doorstep and a trail down to the hotel which is reachable from the U-bahn. They also run a shuttle bus into town for ski school, kit hire, and I believe also for evenings out. Friends of ours have stayed there for the last 5 years with their family, and like the all-inclusive deal.

@PeteMan, Great Video - beats the Keystone Cops! I wonder why it says “police”, not “polizei” on the helmets?

And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.

And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.

Hi there - I'm sure this has been asked many times, but I can't find on this thread - any of you have recommendations for guides or freeride courses in Saalbach? Likely to be going there next February.

Many thanks!

Martin

So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much

So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much

@tatmanstours, not sure if this shouldn't be on a thread for next season the 2018/19 ski map showing

, the new Kohlmaisbahn and the 8 seater Asitzmuldenbahn

.

There won't be a link this season from Viehofen, there is some working going on between the old road and the new road, but no construction

Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Tue 19-06-18 7:32; edited 2 times in total

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Quote:

There won't be a link this season from Viehofen, there is some working going on between the old road and the new road, but no construction

@radar, Wonder what they're up to Maybe next year. Can't say I'm really too bothered about being able to ski over to Zell am See, particularly if it will adversely impact piste 68 and our beloved Hecherhuette.

And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.

And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.

Just appeared on my Facebook feed: (translated from German):
Dear guests, today is a very special day: The Schmitten in Zell am See celebrated the groundbreaking ceremony for an important project for the future ski area from Kaprun via Zell am See to the existing Skicircus Saalbach-Hinterglemm-Leogang. With the ZellamseeXpress Section I, which goes into operation in the winter of 2019/20, the touchdown in the Glemmtal valley is finally over. We look forward to welcoming our guests in the middle of the largest ski area in Austria in the future!

So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much

So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much

Tatman, isn't it about time you kicked off the 18/19 thread !

You know it makes sense.

You know it makes sense.

From orf.at via translate:

On Friday in Viehhofen the groundbreaking for the Zell am See Express took place on the Schmittenhöhe, the gondola carried so next year the skiers also back to the mountain, where so far only a downhill to Viehhofen was possible down. The new gondola lift is a further step in the merger of the Zell am See and the Skicircus Saalbach-Hinterglemm-Leogang-Fieberbrunn. In December 2019, the Zell am See Express is to be completed on the Schmittenhöhe. The costs currently amount to 25 million euros.

... but at least they are starting it!

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@PeteMan, Seems like a good moment to do it!

Poster: A snowHead

Poster: A snowHead

Here is a report (in German) about the developments in Viehhofen. Next year should see the link to the Schmittenhöhe/Zell am See complete. But it seems that it will be another four years (or more) until the link comes from Viehhofen to the Asitz, i.e. the lift linking to Saalbach proper with snowmaking and the like.

Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person

Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person

@ousekjarr, Those of us in Saalbach are a bit indifferent or conflicted, whereas over in Zell am See they must be whooping for joy!

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@tatmanstours, I like Zell, and the option of taking the bus there in the morning then skiing back into the Glemmtal starts to look like a grand day out. If they flood light it so we can ski to Zell, have a swim and a meal and then ski back, I’d be even happier!

@ousekjarr, The option you’ve just described has been available since they reinstated the old run down from the Schmittenhoehe to Viehhofen a couple of years ago. I’ve not done it but a few friends have.